Crude oil treating apparatus



y 1, 1945. G. E. MAWHIRTER 2,374,944

CRUDE OIL TREATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1945 Glam? 3 jYdw/l/rfr,

readily separate fromthe 011..

treating apparatus" constructed 'in accordance present invention.

' vertically disposed cally md-exteriorly of' Patented May 1,1945

"UNITED-STATES PATENT or-P csoauns om'rnas'rmq APPARATUS 7 Glenn E. Mawhirter; Pawnee Rock, Kans. Application November 18,1943, Serial No. 510,829

Thisinvention relates to a crude oil treating apparatus, and has for the primary objectz-the provision of a device of this character whereby batches of oil received from a continuous source of supply may be heated and chemically treated and at thesame time. agitated so that when reaching a settling tank, the water and other foreign matter which may be in theoil will more 8 Claims. 101.252-362) pipe extends a considerable distance downwardly 1 in the chamber In and terminates in a g 'O e' neclc. I, the end of which forms avalve seat for a valve element I'I including a-stem' l8 slidable in aguide le. r

A float shaft "is journaled in the chamber adjacent the partition 8 and extends exteriorly Another object of the invention is the pro- 10 vision of-a device of'the above stated character which will automatically arrange the oil as continuouslyreceived from the source into batches and permit a batch that has been formed t0. -be

chemically treated and at the same time agitated and to automatically deliverthe treated batch toa settlingv tank when said device substantially.

completes the next batch.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the'description pro- 9' ceeds, the invention consists'in certain novel features of construction, combination and ar- 'angementof parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

thereto by the rise and fall of P chamber Ill.

For a complete understanding of my invention, '25

reference is to be .had to the following description and accompanying drawing, .in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating an oil with my invention. p v

' Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating thedevice. c' 4 '-Figure.3 is a fragmentary view, partly in sec- 'ltion, showing a ratchet arrangement between an prevent'the escapeof oil from bar until such time that the valve elementis operating rod and. alever forming *a' part of the 35 Referring, in .detail to the by a dome shaped top wall 1-. "The tank is'divlded approximately-in half bya upper and lower chambers, 9 ing if extends into the v 7 and has connected thereto and arranged vertip rtition a forming V the tank a flue pinch. A heater. I3 is arranged in of heating .the chamber I 0. JA crude oil with: the lower? contents of the lower supply pipe l4 connects chamber Ill adjacent the base and receives-c de oil'continuously while thedef vice i in oper on from a supply. v An oil tr ferpipe Wis carried'by the g ti- .tion 8 an connebts the upper tandllower chembers 9;.and III. The upper en he pi II is located slightly above the part! in the nu-fimeral 5 indicates a base on which is arranged atank 6 closed at its upper end.

and IQ. Aflue 6 (8- tank adjacent thebase of the tank and has secured thereto an arm 2|.

The arm. is connected to the shaft substan- A tially intermediate ,the ends of said am; A connecting rod'22 including a turn buckle 22 is connected to one end of the arm 2 I.

Anarm 24 is secured to the float shaft 20 and is connected to the stern ll, of the valve I! by a flexible element 25. A stem 26 of a float 21- a connected to the float shaft for imparting movement the oil in the lower J The connecting rod 22 extends through a slot 28 formed in an arm 29'. The arm 29' is cured substantially intermediate its ends to a shaft 30 equipped with an arm 3! within the upper cham-- her 9. The arm 3| is connected to a stem 32 by 'a fle 'ble element 33. .The stem forms ,a part of a valve 34 and is slidably supported by a guide 35'. An outlet pipe 36 extends through a' wall of the tank and is in communication with theup per chamber '9 being supported by the partition 8.

'The upper end ofthe outlet pipe 36 which connects with the u per chamber -9 is in the form of a valve seat'to' be engaged by thelvalve 24 to the upper chamraised or elevated. I

A pipe 38 is arranged in the upper chamber 9' adjacent the partition 8 and 'extends* exteriorly ofthe tank to connect-with a. vertically. arranged 'pl 49 having communication with the lowerchamber I! adjacent the partition by a pipe ll.

Arranged in'the vertical pipe 38 is a pressure relief valve ll of the conventional type, the purpose of whichis to -'a"pre'determined' pressure in'the lowertank before opening. The pipe 38 p is provided with-a series of jets or "nozzles :2 ex-' tending in. thedirectionof the partition the purpose of which is to distribute pressure into i the on of theupper chamber for "circulation upr w a nected to the port of the upper chamber 9 so that chemical may be introduced into the oil within the upper chamber 9 for chemically treatme said oil.

The connecting rod 22 which extends through the slot 29 of the arm 29' has an arcuately curved dog 41 pivoted thereto and is spring influenced, as shown at 48. The dog 41 operates in the slot 29, as clearly shown in Figure 3, and the purpose of which is to establish a drive between the connecting rod and the arm 29' until sufllcient resistance is offered to the movement of the arm 29 that will overcome the action of the spring 48 and permit the dog 41 to pivot sufllciently to permit the connecting rod 22 to slide relative to the arm 29'.

A stop 59 is arranged on the tank 6 for limitin the downward pivotal movement of one end of the arm 29". The rod 22 may continue to move downwardly when the arm 29' engages with the stop 50 due to the arrangement of the dog 41 in the slot 29 and the spring 49.

batch of oil in the chamber 9 to escape. The valve 94 automatically seats itself when the batch of oil in the chamber 9 lowers beyond the valve 34 as to cause a suction thereon.

The outlet pipe 96 is preferably connected to a settling tank (not shown) so that the treated batches of oil received from the chamber 9 during the operation of the device may come to rest in the settling tank and being treated as before described will bring about an easier separation of water and other foreign matter from the oil while in the settling tank.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in construction combination and arrangement of parts may be made The pressure relief valve 4| is adjusted so that a greater pressure may be maintained in the lowerchamber it) over the pressure maintained in the upper chamber 9. The heater I3 is fed with a fuel in any well known manner and as before stated is for the purpose of heating-the oil within the lower chamber l0.

'In operation, when the float 21 is in its lowermost position the valves l1 and 34 are in seated position closing the pipe I! and .the outlet pipe 96. When the oil within the chamber l0 reaches a certain level the float 21 rises, imparting movement to the shaft 20 and through the connecting rod and its connection with the arm 29' the valve 34 is unseated; The unseating of the valve 34 will allow the escape of oil from the upper chamber 9 and as the chamber 9 substantially empties of oil a suction on the valve 34 by the oil passing out of the outlet pipe 39 causes the valve 34 tov seat itselfand thereby close the escape of oil from the chamber 9.

As the oil level within the chamber l0 con tinues to rise, a further movement of the float 21 will be made causing a further movement of the.

shaft 20 which unseats the valve H. The pressure on the oil within the chamber III which exceeds any pressure that may be in the chamber 9 forces oil from the chamber l0 into the chamber 9 until the level of the oil in the chamber .lll falls to such an extent as to permit the valve l'l to close. Therefore, it will be seen that a batch of oil is accumulated in thechamber 9 while a batch of oil is accumulating within the chamber i9. Chemicals may be then introduced into the oil of the chamber 9and as the pressure in the chamber l9 exceeds the pressure for which the relief valve H is set for, the exces pressure escapes through the jets 42 and passes upwardly through the chemically treated oil in the chamber 9 and thereby agitates said oil.

It is to be understood that the oil fed into the chamber l9 continuously is under pressure consequently building up a pressure within the chamber i9 and when said pressure exceeds the setting of the valve 4!, the latter permits fluid in the upper portion of the chamber III to pass without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an oil treating apparatus, a tank including upper and lower chambers and means for admitting a continuous flow of oil under pressure to said lower chamber, mean for heating the oil in the lower chamber, means for intermittently admitting a predetermined volume of oil from the lower chamber to the upper chamber means for feeding a chemical into the upper chamber for chemical treatment of the oil therein, and means for discharging the treated oil from the upper chamber.

2. In an oil treating apparatus, a tank including upper and lower chambers and means for admitting a continuous flow of oil-under pressure to said lower chamber, means for heating ing upper and lower chambers and means for admitting a continuous flow of oil under pressure to said lower chamber, means for heating the oil in the lower chamber, means for intermittently admitting a. predetermined volume of oil from the lower chamber to the upper chamber means for feeding a chemical into the upper chamber for chemical treatment of the oil therein, means for discharging the treated oil from the upper chamber, means for automatically admitting fluid through the pipe 39 into the chamber 9. The I I oil rising in the chamber l9 also builds up pres-" sure therein.

As' before stated, when the batch of oil in the chamber l9 reaches a level therein sufllcient to raise the float 21 the initial movement thereof unseats the valve 94 and permits the treated under pressure to the upper chamber from the lower chamber when the pressure in the lower chamber exceeds a predetermined amount to bring about agitation of the oil in the upper chamber, and a pressure relief valve connected to the 'upper chamber for maintaining the pressure therein lower than the pressure within the lower chamber.

4. In an oil treating apparatus, a tank including upper and lower chambers and means for admitting a continuous flow of oil under pressure to said lower chamber, a heater for heating the oil in the lower chamber, a pipe connecting the upper and lower chambers, a float operated valve for controlling said pipe to periodically admit oil from the lower chamber into the upper chamber, means for feeding a chemical into the upper gravity operated valve for controlling the outlet pipe, a second shaft connected to the gravity operated valve; and means connecting the second shaft to the float shaft. 7

5. In an oil treating apparatus, a tank including upper and lower chambers and means for admitting a continuous. flow of oil under pressure to said lower chamber, a heater for heating the oil in the lower chamber, a pipe connecting the upper and lower chambers, a float operated valve for controlling said pipe to periodically admit oil from the lower chamber'into the upper chamber, means for feeding a chemical into the upper chamber for mixing with the oil therein, a float operating in the lower chamber and including a float shaft connected to said float valve, an outlet pipe connected to the upper chamber, a gravity operated valve for controlling the outlet pipe, 'a second shaft connected to the gravity operated valve, arms secured to said shafts and one of said arms having a slot, a connecting rod connected to the other arm and extending through the slot, an arcuately curved dog pivoted on said connecting rod and operating in the slot and spring influenced, and a stop for limiting the pivotal movement of the slotted arm.

6. In an oil treating apparatus, a tank including upper and lower chambers and means for admitting a continuous flow of oil under pressure to said lower chamber, a heater for heating the oil in the lower chamber, a pipe connecting the upper and lower chambers, a float operated valve for controlling said pipe to periodically admit oil from the lower chamber into the upper chamber, means for feeding a chemical into the upper chamber for mixing with the oil therein, a float operating in the lower chamber and including a float shaft connected to said float valve, an outlet pipe connected to the upper chamber, a gravity operated valve for controlling theoutlet pipe, a second shaft connected to the gravity operated valve, arms secured to said shafts and one of said arms having a slot, a connecting rod connected the other arm I and extendingthrough the slot, an arcuately curved dog pivoted on said-connecting rod and operating in the slot and spring influenced, a stop for limiting the pivotal movement of the slotted arm, and a presi, sure transfer pipe connecting the upper. andlower chambers and including a pressure relief valve for admitting fluid under pressure through said pressure transfer pipe to the upper chamber from the lower chamber when the pressure in the lower chamber exceeds the pressure in the upper cham-- berl '7. In an oil treating apparatus, a tank in cluding upper and lower chambers and means for admitting-a continuous flow of oil under pressure to said lower chamber means for admitting a chemical to saidupper chamber, a heater for heating the oil in the lower chamber, a pipe conf necting the upper and lower .chambers, a float operated valve for controlling said pipe, a float operating in the lower chamber and including a float shaft connected to said float valve, an outlet pipe connected to the upper chamber, a gravity operated valve for controlling the outlet pipe, a second shaft connected to the gravity operated valve, arms securedto said shafts and one of said arms having a slot, a connecting rod connected to the other arm and extending through the slot,

an arcuately curved dog pivoted on said connecting rod and operating in the slot and spring in-' fluenced, a stop for limiting the pivotal movement of the slotted arm, a pressure transfer pipe connecting the upper and lower chambers and insustaining the pressure in the upper chamber below the pressure in the lower chamber.

8. A claim according to claim "I, in which the means for admitting a chemical to the upper chamber comprises a pump connected to a port in said chamber.

GLENN E. MAWHIRTER. 

